Mediaeval Cranes

 Looks like a possible nest to the left!

I was doing what has become my daily hour’s wandering around the Egg, chiefly along the wonderful, ever-changing canals, when I spotted a couple of swans nearby, off the road and safely behind a fence. I wandered across to take a photograph, wondering about a possible nesting, and then noticed the familiar replica mediaeval crane at the side. [Towards the end of Wulpenstraat.] I have long idly intended to discover more about this crane and mediaeval cranes in general, et voila, here we are, nudged by the swans with time and opportunity afforded by the lock-down.

 Single, early mediaeval crane
working on a roof.

The correct name apparently, is a tread-wheel crane [magna rota] defined as a wooden, human-powered hoisting and lowering device. Used in Roman times originally but after the demise of the Western Roman Empire, the technology fell into disuse only reappearing in France in about 1225, followed by an illuminated depiction in a manuscript, possibly of French origin, dating to 1240. The earliest documentation of cranes in use in navigation are those in Utrecht in 1244, Antwerp in 1263, Brugge in 1288 and Hamburg in 1291.The treadmill was first recorded in England considerably later in 1331.

Mediaeval windlass, still in situ
in roof of Salisbury Cathedral.

 Crane in Brugge
Miniature painting, 1510.
Simon Bening.

The exact process by which the tread-wheel crane was re-introduced in mediaeval times, is not recorded although its appearance on mediaeval building sites is almost certainly linked to the emergence and development of Gothic architecture. Generally, vertical transport was easier and cheaper by cranes than traditional manual methods and typical areas of use were in harbours, mines and, pivotally, in the construction of the towering Gothic cathedrals. However, the traditional tools such as ladders, hods and handbarrows continued alongside the cranes. The process of the re-introduction of the magna rota may have resulted from the technological development of the windlass which has a close structural and mechanical affinity to the crane. Similarly the early crane shared many structural similarities with waterwheels and their labour-saving qualities were probably translated to the idea of a huge crane to lift heavy goods.

Jan van Eyewerve 1551
Painted by Pourbus on occasion
of Eyewerve's marriage to

Jacquemyne Bunck

In Brugge, from the end of the 12th century, the centre of commercial activity was located around the Kraanplein and the Spiegelrei. A huge wooden crane was situated near the Kraanplein from 1290 before which it had been located on the Markt.when the construction of the Waterhalle necessitated its removal. Indeed, the name, Kraanplein, came from the installation of this enormous wooden equipment. It was mounted on a revolving post, like a windmill, and the crane's pulleys were worked by means of two large treadmills operated by children. One can only wonder, horrified at their grim existence. Unbelievably, this monumental crane, installed in 1290 was not dismantled until 1767. During these five hundred years, the Bruggean crane had impressed visitors and was taken as a sign of Brugge's incredible economic success. 

The Eyewerve house
overlooked the Kraanplein.
The crane, important to the
wealth of a merchant,
is pictured in his portrait. 

The Kraanrei grew increasingly crowded by 1787 and Sint Jansbrug was demolished to allow the development of Academieplaats, renamed Jan van Eyckplein in 1844. Between 1793 and 1795 the road up to the Kraanplein was arched and the Kraanbrug demolished, though part of it is preserved underground.

 One can easily see why the splendid
reconstruction was moved from Jan van Eyckplein!

 The replica mediaeval crane, made by students
of the Bruges' V.T.I. in 2002, originally placed in
Jan van Eyckplein and later moved to
Wulpenstraat near Sasplein.